DC Vaccine Combined With IL-2 and IFNα-2a in Treating Patients With mRCC

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RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a patient's dendritic cells and tumor cells may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's lymphocytes to kill kidney cancer cells. Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of cancer cells. Combining vaccine therapy with interleukin-2 and interferon alfa may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving vaccine therapy together with interleukin-2 and interferon alfa works in treating patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer).

All patients will be treated with autologous tumor cell vaccine administered into inguinal lymph nodes via ultrasound guidance in addition to systemic IL-2 and recombinant interferon alfa. Two cycles of induction IL-2/IFNα-2a followed by 3 cycles of maintenance IL-2 + IFNα-2a.

Biological: Aldesleukin,

Recombinant human interleukin-2 (Proleukin, Chiron Therapeutics) will be administered as a five day (120 hr) continuous intravenous infusion at a dose of 18x106 IU per square meter of body surface area per day as per the Negrier regimen (21). The treatment schedule consists of two induction cycles and three maintenance cycles. Each induction cycle consists of two five-day courses of interleukin-2 infusion separated by a nine-day break. Each maintenance cycle consists of a five-day infusion followed by 23-day rest period of no therapy.

Other Name: IL-2 (Proleukin®, Chiron)

Biological: autologous tumor cell vaccine

we will administer 1 X 107 DC cells. The autologous tumor cell vaccine (1 X 107 cells/1cc) in lactated ringers solution and injected into one (or two if clinically necessary) inguinal lymph nodes under ultrasound guidance. Each cycle of DC vaccine will be administered alternately in the right and left inguinal lymph nodes.

Other Name: DC Vaccine

Biological: recombinant interferon alfa

Recombinant human interferon alfa-2a (Roferon, Roche), at a dose of 6 million IU per day three times a week subcutaneously will be given during the two interleukin-2 induction cycles and during each interleukin-2 maintenance cycle

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Cardiac: No evidence of congestive heart failure, symptoms of coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction less than 6 months prior to entry, or serious cardiac arrhythmias. Patients over 40 or have had previous myocardial infarction greater than 6 months prior to entry will be required to have a negative or low probability cardiac stress test for cardiac ischemia.

CNS: No history of brain metastases.

Women should not be lactating and, if of childbearing age, have a negative pregnancy test within two weeks of entry to the study.

Appropriate Contraception in both sexes

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Patients may have not have been treated previously with IL-2, IFNα or autologous vaccine.